Amy Stino - Assistant Principal

Tammy Nye - Administrative Assistant

Joanne Solecki - Administrative Assistant

Email: Klevenduski@hwporter.org

Astino@hwporter.org

Website: hwporter.org

Location: 3 Schoolhouse Road Columbia, CT 06237
Phone: (860)228-9493

PTO Fun Run - Sept. 29, 2024

Picture Day - October 2, 2024

PBIS Assembly to kick off Kindness - October 3, 2024

Spirit Day (Dress in Porter gear or yellow and black) - October 4, 2024

Early Dismissal for Students -October 9, 2024

Holiday - No School -October 14, 2024

Professional Development Day -No School -October 15, 2024

PTO Meeting Cafe 7:00 - Oct. 22, 2024

Dress like a book character/Fall Parade - October 31, 2024 (more info to come)

ParentSquare is our new platform for communication. We are encouraging all families to join ParentSquare. This is the platform we will be switching over to instead of using School Messenger. We are hoping to fully transition by November this year. If you are having difficulty, please click the link below for more information so you do not miss out on notices, alerts, or messages from your child's teachers.

September 25, 2024

Dear Parents and Families,

Horace W. Porter School is committed to providing programming to all students that enhances their social and emotional development. There is significant research and data indicating that social and emotional skills improve students’ readiness to learn, classroom behavior, and academic performance. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children develop self awareness and the ability to regulate their emotions, problem solving skills, use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships, and demonstrate decision making and responsible behaviors to achieve school and life success. To support our students we are continuing to implement our SEL curriculum Mind Up to all students in PK-8 along with PBIS lessons and programs/activities, such as Look for the Good and the Kindness Challenge.

In addition, your child’s teacher will administer Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) through Fastbridge for all students in the fall, winter, and spring. The use of SAEBRS refines and strengthens our efforts to help all of our students be successful by allowing us to take positive and preventative measures as early as possible. Further, students in grades 3-8 will be completing the MYSAEBRS Student Self-Report which engages students in self reflection of their own social and emotional strengths. MySAEBRS (my Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener) is a brief, norm-referenced screening tool that can be used to identify students who may benefit from social emotional support and/or programming.

Parents may choose not to have their students use the SAEBRS universal screener as your child’s participation is voluntary. Please contact Amy Stino, astino@hwporter.org if you wish to opt your student out of this assessment or if you have further questions by September 29, 2024. You can also opt out through ParentSquare. More information about SAEBRS universal screener can be located at this site:

https://www.illuminateed.com/products/fastbridge/social-emotional-behavior-assessment/saebrs/

Sincerely,

Amy Stino

Amy Stino

Assistant Principal

We are excited to be having a Veteran's Day Ceremony this year (more details to come)! We would love to celebrate all of the amazing Veteran's within our Porter Family! If you have a picture you can share of a Veteran or someone who is in active duty, please send it in and we would love to include it in a slideshow at our assembly. Along with the picture please send the following information:

Name, rank, branch, the relationship the Veteran has with the person at our school.

Email all photos and information to Karen Martin: kmartin@hwporter.org

If you have submitted a picture in the past we can use it. Email Karen Martin and let her know the information and she can use the same picture.

Click on the community link below for a list of flu shot clinics.

Students in grades 2, 3, and 4 had an assembly this week called "Tour Des Trees". The Tour des Trees is taking place in New England and the route passed right through Columbia. Professor Pricklethorn came to teach Porter students about how important trees can be. Students learned how important they are to our environment and community! Students even got to participate and be a part of their learning! Check out the pictures below!

Students did an introduction to Oceanology aboard the "Envirolab 2" on the Long Island Sound. Students worked together to set and collect a trawl of sea creatures then identified and classified them. Students also collected and analyzed abiotic data about the LIS including depth, salinity, light, color, and pH levels.

Students enjoyed vising Dodd Stadium for this year's Manufacturing Expo! The teachers had fun, too!

October 2nd is Custodian Appreciation Day! We would like to thank all of our Facility Technicians who work day and night to take care of our school! Thank you for all of your hard work!

• Please bring an ID for entering the building and parent pick up. We understand it is not convenient, but it is for your child's safety. We appreciate your help with this!
• If you plan to pick up your child from school or need to make any changes to their transportation please complete the Transportation & Notes Form.
• All cellphones must remain in student's lockers.

• Registration for After School Clubs is open. You can register your child through Family ID. Please read the After School Clubs Flyer to view the clubs offered for this session. Please feel free to contact Jessica Doubleday at jdoubleday@hwporter.org if you have any questions. Session 1 begins Sept. 24th and ends Oct. 31.

• We have many things happening in our community! Be sure to click the "Events Around The Community" down below to check them all out!

Substitute Paras and Teachers needed. Please contact Klevenduski@hwporter.org

7th grade students are busy working on their Lion's Club Peace Poster Project!

Everyone can help take action to prevent suicide. Click on the link for more information. https://www.preventsuicidect.org/

• Connecticut Public Act 22-47 - legislation regarding suicide. Connecticut Public Act 22-47, Section 28, requires that the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number be included on identification (ID) badges of students in Grades 6 through 12. Due to the timing of the implementation of 988, the requirement becomes effective for the 2024-25 school year. The United Way of Connecticut has provided the 988 QR code for access to the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board website that may be posted to the back of student IDs with a brief statement such as “Call or text 988 for crisis support,” or an equivalent. The 988 Contact Center services include rapid 24/7 access to trained staff who can help students (and adults) experiencing suicidal, substance use, and other mental health crises, provide referrals to resources, and perform warm transfers to Mobile Crisis or emergency services as needed/desired.

AHM is OPEN to the public and excited to offer our services to Porter students and Columbia residents!

AHM Youth and Family Services offers mental health clinical services to youth and their families! These

services are designed to support families in transition, crisis, or normal developmental processes.

Individual and/or family therapy is available for children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 26 to

address social, emotional and/or behavioral issues. Family and parent sessions are often utilized in

conjunction with individual sessions to support a child’s progress in therapy.

In addition, many fun programs are offered throughout the year for all ages, including theater, health &

wellness, and craft programs. For more information and registration links, please visit ahmyouth.org or

call the office at (860) 228-9488.